The Adventures of Jane, Marley and Cat

I snuck out of work early on Friday to meet Janny at the bead show.  I was entertained by the number and variety of people who come to the bead show.  You have the ones who are obviously serious jewelry makers, and you have the ones that don’t know the difference between a plastic or glass bead from a natural gemstone.

Jan and I made our way to the back of the exhibit hall to some giant booth of beads of every size and color.  The woman working there, Amy Wong, quickly noted that we would be doing some serious damage to her inventory.  Where other people were filling their little trays, we were heaping the beads into Rubbermaid tubs… all 8 of them.

Amy was quick to point out every 5 minutes that she was losing money on us because she was selling the beads for less than she paid for them.  Yeah, right, Amy.  But my favorite part was when we’d ask her what an unfamiliar stone was and she would say it in her very thick Chinese accent.  Hey, stone names are difficult in English, much less when it is a second language.  Jan would look at me with fear in her eyes as if to say, “Don’t you leave me, I can’t understand a fucking word she is saying!”

We left with 4 bags of beads weighing in at about 75 pounds each.  We found delightful new stones: green opal, mongoloian fluoride, chrysopase, etc.  Of course, after three hours at the gemshow we were indeed “stoned”.  We wandered out with our goodies in search of the nearest restaurant.

Saturday was spent organizing and sorting and making beautiful pieces.  It was delicious.  I had every intent of returning home Saturday night, because my hip was hurting and I hadn’t slept well, but Jan insisted I stay (hence the kidnapping).  She said, “I’ll even get you some medicine for your hip.”

Lord have mercy, did she ever.  I think I’m just now coming out of my coma, but my hip doesn’t hurt!  I made it home Sunday afternoon and promptly slept for another 3 hours.  Then I fell asleep last night at 10:00.

So, today life is good, I am relaxed and looking forward to the week to come.  Plus, I have great new jewelry to wear.

It’s been a busy week, at least it has felt that way.  I was out late two nights, and that somehow screwed up my sleeping.  Also, last night which was supposed to be a “jammies and tv” night turned out to be “let’s interrupt Mom” night and I slept on my neck funny.

So here it is Friday.  Thank God.

This afternoon I’m meeting Jan at the Bead Show and I’m going to help her spend her money.  I love being in that space because all those gems make my head go “wheeeee”.  It is truly what being “stoned” is all about.  Then I’m going to Jan’s for the night and we’ll play until I manage to get myself home sometime before Sunday.

Sunday: Jammies, laundry, and puttering.  My favorite kind of day.

But more about this week:

Work: I realized I’m still really sensitive about my position at work.  It bugs me that there are people who claim a position of authority here, who haven’t contributed one iota to the cause.  I realize that this is about me, and I need to figure out where I’m letting my power leak out again.

Chitlins: My kids are in flux again.  Julia and Ben moved out last Saturday, and now John and Destiny are moving to California next week.  Robbie hopes to be working in a Wilderness Program, so that would leave K and me in that big house.  Doesn’t that sound heavenly?

Project Runway: They sent the wrong person home.  If Kinley doesn’t get booted here next week, I’m going to boycott.  Well, maybe not.

Grey’s Anatomy: whine, whine, blood, whine, whine.  I’m not loving you, Shandra, not with this one.

Concerns:

• Money, as always.  If my kids worked, I wouldn’t be in this situation.  Hopefully with the shift to California, things will change.
• K dating boys.  I don’t even want to think about it.
• My hip hurts like hell… and I still don’t have insurance to get it fixed.

The Date that Went Bust:  Unless he tells you he’s taller than you and he is actually employed, don’t go out with him.  EVER.

But, all in all I’m happy, healthy, and looking forward to the weekend.

I love this time of year.  Late September and October are some of my favorite months in Utah.  But Holy Hannah, it is HOT.

Global warming? Maybe.  Global confusion and the stock market are more like it.  The only good thing about this is that Robbie gets to go camping a few more weekends this year.

I’m going to blame EVERYTHING on the weather: people at work are crabby, my kids are unemployed, I’m not sleeping well.

I mean, as long as I have a scapegoat, why not?

I just wish it would hover in the 70s instead of the high 80s.

(I know, I know, in a few minutes I’ll be whining because it is snowing.  I’ll shut up now.)